The Other Side of the Coin
by sh1f7er
Summary: A soul frozen in time has been discovered by Atlas scientists. With their recent creation of aura transfer technology, they plan to make the discovery count. A new take on the creation of Penny, and the possibilities of the soul.
1. From Red to Rust

**Chapter 1 - From Red to Rust**

* * *

 _Doctor, help me understand. What exactly makes a soul?_

* * *

The sound of screaming wavered through the air. Hundreds of different voices shouting out at once. Not just in pain, but in sadness, fearlessness, and even the occasional hint of victory.

She was not one of those voices. She was silent and motionless. Her green eyes flooded as they reflected the dark sky.

She was alone.

There were hundreds of men and women all around her, yet she was alone. A stifled sob left her mouth. She wanted to stop the tears from falling, but that would mean letting go. Her hands wouldn't allow that. The cold metal that clung to them was too captivating to allow for movement. So the tears fell. She could feel them roll down to her cheek and all she could do was watch as they dropped down from the peak of her chin.

* * *

 _It's a bit complicated, sir. It's everything and nothing at the same time._

* * *

Her knees began to ache under the weight of the armor. The slight tinge of pain acting as the only thing she felt in what seemed to be hours. She hated the sensation. Not for the irritation, but for bringing her back to reality.

It allowed her to feel the ground shake. It wasn't clear if it came from a step of the giant beast, or the flapping of its wings. All it told was its proximity to her. With each thud, she knew it was coming closer. The screams began to die down. Not because there was any less terror in the battle, but because there simply wasn't enough voices to hold the intensity.

The sudden quiet allowed her to hear. In the haze, it felt like the wind was trying to talk to her. It wasn't just another voice. It was a tingle that touched her hair and whisked around her head. In the cold, it felt like a welcoming warm embrace. It felt like Scarlet.

* * *

 _I'm not following. If it truly is everything and nothing, how can you know it's there?_

* * *

Another tear fell from her face and onto her friend's bloodstained chest. The gash that ripped straight through her armor left the once beautiful metal twisted and torn. Metal was supposed to be strong. It was supposed to protect those that wore it.

That _thing_ didn't agree.

Scarlet didn't move in her arms. There were no tears. No lost breaths. She simply looked at her friend and smiled. She wore the same smile when they had first met. It brightened up her pale skin by spreading the red of her lips just that much further towards her cheeks. Scarlet really was beautiful. Her glistening silver eyes only added to that. It filled her friend with a warmth that only a loved one's presence could provide in such a cold moment.

Scarlet closed her eyes. She wanted to keep them open, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She just needed rest.

The warmth that she gave only seemed to grow in her partner. It covered her body in a blanket that washed away the bitterness of the world. It comforted her, but also spoke. Not in words, but in feelings. First, there was sadness that was washed away in the same relaxing warm embrace. Next, there was fear that was suddenly halted by a shrill calm. Finally, there was courage that never went away. Instead, it lingered there. On and on. Until the aura Scarlet had surrounded her with slowly drifted away.

* * *

 _It's there because we feel it. It's what continues to drive us forward._

* * *

The girl simply laid Scarlet against the brick where she sat. It wasn't a comfortable spot, but it was the only thing she could do. Scarlet wanted her to be brave. She wanted her to have the courage to move. She wanted her to fight. The touch of Scarlet's aura had told her that in a way that words could never accentuate.

She would honor her friends wish. She would use everything that Scarlet had taught her. She would stand against the beast that continued to move ever closer.

* * *

 _It is motivation. It is ideals. It's what makes us all different, but oh so very similar._

* * *

Auburn gently removed her friend's sword and shield. They were never going to be enough to win. Only enough to try. The certainty of it all drummed in her chest. She was going to die. There was no fear in that though. If death was inevitable, then she was going to make sure hers would stand for something.

Before she left, she looked over herself. The chain that covered her chest still dripped red. It wouldn't protect her like Scarlet's armor. Against what was coming, cloth would have done just as well. The chainmail was a gift though. Each ring was pieced together by Scarlet. For that, it would stay.

She hoisted Scarlet's shield on her left forearm. It was smaller than most, but the kite shape would still offer whatever protection would be needed leading up to the foe. The bright white sheen only added to the effect of the green and red sword emblem that ran down the middle. It was her idea to make it. One red sword for Scarlet, the green for her. The fact that Scarlet had taken the time to paint in on the metal only added to their friendship.

In her right hand, she gripped Scarlet's sword tightly. It felt strange to hold her weapon, despite it being an exact replica of her own. The only difference was the pommel. Scarlet had taken the time to paint it a vibrant red. It served no purpose other than the individuality that Scarlet demanded all of her equipment have. Auburn gave the sword a light swing to test the weight. It wasn't needed. The blade was the same steel as her own. It had the same average length blade as well. It wasn't a test of the sword though. It was to ensure herself that she was ready.

Once satisfied with herself, Auburn looked over the two helmets that rested on the bloodied grass. Both girls had worn one as a sign of strength. It concealed their beautiful faces to make sure all that stood before them would see a warrior above all else. At this point, it was a fallacy. This battle required an entirely different form of strength. The enemy did not fear steel. It didn't fear anything. So she walked away. She would fight the beast with her true face. She wanted to make sure it saw her eyes before it was over. They weren't silver like Scarlet's, but she wanted to show that emerald could strike just as much fear.

* * *

 _But most importantly, it's what makes us real._

* * *

Auburn rounded the brick corner of the hut. Before her, she saw the ruins of their mountain village. Buildings were littered across the dirt roads. They had taken years to build. Now, they were nothing more than shattered stone. Despite the damage, Auburn felt that whoever had been inside them was lucky. Over the remaining buildings, she could see the yellow glow of fire.

It did little to dissuade her. Auburn's path was clear. She continued her pace forward towards the flames. As she walked, her long red hair slowly swayed on her shoulders. It had been kept up in her helmet for so long. It made her feel powerful to have its burning colors out in the open like the wood and grass around her.

Her confidence persisted even as the feelings of dread began to fill the air. It was such a common thing to feel when the Grimm were near. The sensation was typically enough to drive most men and women to run for safety. Yet, she was not a common woman. She was a huntress.

The snarls of the beasts began to grow louder with each step forward. They were simply a distraction. She knew their plan of attack. She was surrounded. Soon there would be no way to move forward without a fight. She gripped Scarlet's sword tightly and felt the warm sensation of her friend's aura along her face once again. Nothing more than a slight caressing of the cheek as if to say 'be careful'. Auburn closed her eyes. The first one was always just a distraction anyway.

The snarl grew into a raging roar as a beowolf jumped through the flames. Its claws reared for her head, but missed as Auburn casually stepped to the side. The beast dug its claws into the dirt as it skidded past her. Most would follow it with attention, but they would miss the second strike. With a quick twist, she raised her shield to stop the incoming attack on her left. The strength from the blow attempted to drive through the metal as if it were a hammer. The dull thud that echoed from the shield proved its failure.

The beast screamed. Cold bits of saliva met her forehead where the shield couldn't cover her face. The Grimm brought up its other arm for a following swipe, but it missed high as it was thrown off balance. The shield had pushed back against the beast's strength and sent it a step backwards. The slight mistake allowed for a flash of steel to swing down and across its leg. The limb severed so cleanly that the following strike to its throat appeared effortless.

The body had already begun evaporating before it hit the ground. Auburn paid it no mind. Instead, she turned to the original foe. It wouldn't be startled by seeing its ally fall. There was no soul in these creatures. Just blind rage and malice. It lunged at her. Its back legs propelled it forward at tremendous speeds. Even then, Auburn had time to think on its actions. Scarlet's sword held firm in front of her body. It didn't need to move anywhere else. The emotionless beast simply crashed into it. All Auburn had to do was wait as it disappeared from the weapon. Even with the blade through its neck she could feel the creature glaring at her.

* * *

 _I still don't think I understand. If it's all of that, then how do you plan to create such a thing?_

* * *

Auburn remained standing with her sword in the air. With a long breath, she slowly lowered it to her side. The short fight hadn't tired her, but it had reminded her of what was yet to come. The earthshaking movements were getting closer. She knew it would be here soon. In that short moment of reflection, she noticed just how quiet everything had become. There were no more snarls. No more screams. There was only the flickering flames that were slowly engulfing the village, and the slow rattling beat in the ground.

"I'm sorry Scar." The wings of the beast began to curl around the buildings that remained standing. The low drum of its footsteps were quickly becoming a solid boom. "I don't think I'm going to be making it out of here." The creature's spiked tail cracked through its surroundings sending brick, dirt, and solid mortar flying towards the sky. "I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough." The creature's right wing struck down the last remaining building that separated her from its vision. The dust scattered through the village square. Auburn simply held the shield to her face to let the debris fall to her side.

She glared at it. Only in legends had she heard of such a creature. A Grimm so large that it could pass through villages and cities without effort. One so strong that it could break through the very mountains she currently stood on. Yet, here it stood in front of her. Its red eyes bearing down into hers. Letting her know just how small she was, and just what would happen if she were to fight it. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save you."

The Grimm sent out a roar so loud that the building behind Auburn crumbled. The force of the wind that came with it attempted to topple her over, but she braced through it. She wished she hadn't. The musk from the beast's mouth covered the air with the scent of death. It was a warning to her of all the men that it had slain with the simple click of its jaw. Her stomach turned and her body almost fell forward as the force suddenly came to an end.

She began to feel the terror that had seemed to escape her. She was going to die. This _thing_ would be her end. How could she be so foolish that she had decided to fight it? The emotions began to pour from her face. She wanted so badly to strike fear into the Grimm. To be so terrifying that even the emotionless beast could understand the pain that taking her friend's life caused. In that moment, those thoughts felt so weak. So futile to even attempt. Right now, she just wanted her friend back.

The Grimm flared its fangs. Its long neck strained and forced its head down with a terrifying speed. Auburn reared her head and braced her small shield in a worthless attempt to try to stop it. The sound of the bone hit metal. It was the last thing the girl was going to hear before she died.

"I'm so sorry…"

* * *

 _I don't. No man could ever hope to create something as miraculous as a soul._

* * *

Death wasn't so bad. There was no pain. Instead, she felt strong. It was as if that small moment of fear had been carried away. All that remained was the warmth that circled around her. She could breathe easy again. All the worries she held had simply gone away. It allowed her to slowly open her eyes once more. She wasn't sure what to expect death to look like. Maybe it was the perfect place to relax for eternity. A place filled with rolling green hills, colorful flowers, and beautiful blue skies. Maybe it would be dark and cold with nothing more than dirt to pave the ways. Maybe it was nothing at all. It didn't matter though. She was ready for it.

Auburn looked down at her figure. Nothing had changed. Her feet were still firmly planted on the dirt streets she remembered so well. Her eyes traced up her arms towards the shield that was now so close to her face. It glowed with a familiar red hue. Its presence filled her with the same warm and calm that it always had. The fangs that had failed to pass through it were simply held in place. They hadn't even scratched the surface of the shields brilliant paint.

She couldn't understand. Where had it come from? How had Scarlet saved her? The answer came in the wonderful tingles on the back of her head. The feelings ran through her body once more reminding Auburn of all the time she had spent together with her friend. Of all the times that they had protected each other, and all the love that they were able to spread because they had each other in their lives.

Auburn closed her eyes. Despite all the courage that Scarlet's aura had tried to make her feel, she couldn't help but let out a tear. In the darkness of her vision, she pictured her friend. Her lovely shining armor. Her beautiful pale skin. Her brightening smile. Her confident silver eyes. The warmth surrounded her once more. The image of her friend gave her a simple smile.

* * *

 _No, what we're attempting is different. We're continuing the life of one that never left in the first place._

* * *

"Be safe Auburn."

Auburn felt the red hue on the shield begin to grow into a white light. She could hear the pained roars of the giant Grimm as it tried its best to flee. She didn't understand it though. The light wasn't painful. All Auburn could feel was the wonderful warmth of her friend. As Scarlet's aura expanded out, it raced through her body like a desperate attempt to give one last embrace.

The brilliant white flashed. There was no sound. No pain. Just cold.

* * *

 _Doctor… I think it worked._

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **Hello everyone!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'The Other Side of the Coin'! I should mention that this chapter is meant to be the introduction before the introduction. I'm fulling expecting the question of - "So why is this story tagged as 'Penny' and 'Ruby' when you're going to use OCs?" To which I will respond, because we are so far in the past that they don't exist yet! But they will! This entire story is going to be about the background of Penny, so take that information, and this starting chapter, how you will.**

 **I should mention that this story was originally created for FF user Shandromand. This, and the cover art, were part of a gift to them. So I hope I do them proud!**

 **That's not to say I didn't have help! FF user DMenace and I had a chat about aura and how the intermingling of souls would work. They have a wonderful head-canon on auras being able to intertwine and physically effect one another, and his views on the subject are a big part of the inspiration for this story.**

 **Finally, the artist who made the cover art goes by the name of Taylor Scholtens. Her art can be found on her self-titled Insta gram account and on her own (once again) self-titled website.**

 **I suggest you give all of them a view!**

 **In the meantime, I will continue writing this story over time. Future chapters are probably going to end up being much longer than this, and will most likely be updated every few weeks depending on my life schedule. I will still be adding short stories as I go, but this is going to be my new primary story.**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading! Just seeing people take interest in my hobby is more rewarding to me than you could possibly imagine. I hope all of you enjoy!**

 **~Sh1f7er**


	2. Shiny and New

**Chapter 2 – Shiny and New**

* * *

Cold. The feeling enveloped every sensation of Auburn's being. It felt so… empty. She tried to think on why that would be, but the thoughts drifted into the dark void surrounding her just like anything else.

The void made it hard to do anything. It seemed trivial to pass through, if not for its boundaries extending far beyond anything Auburn could ever imagine. That is, if imagination hadn't drifted away with the rest of her thoughts.

Struggling like this was so tiring. Whatever she had been doing to make it to this point must have been hard. Maybe it was just as hard as thinking.

Maybe it would just be easier to sleep.

Sleep would be easy. Sleep wouldn't bring in more fog to the dark void around her. Sleep would mean rest, and she was oh so very tired.

* * *

Dreams came in waves of emotions. There would be a flash of an image. Something from a past that was no longer clear. The fuzzy picture would evaporate into the cloudy abyss, only to be followed by another wave. Anger. Sadness. Empathy. Joy. Happiness. Each one flickered one by one. Each one bringing a new sensation with it.

But why didn't she feel it? The emotions were clear in a world where nothing else was. She could see the color of every single one as they flashed from red, blue, green, and pink. Why did she see them? Why weren't they making her _feel_ anything?

She tried to think of an answer, but the fog returned with the attempt. Her thoughts tried to escape, but she held onto them as hard as she could. Why? What happened to her? Why could she not feel?

The fog answered back with red. The color flashed through her just as she saw anger only moments before. It bore through her unlike anything she had felt before. Red. It flashed again.

It hurt.

The painful red began to twist into a sinister black around her. The questions she had spun further. Pain? After all of this, why could she suddenly feel pain? The colors flashed again bringing another flare of agony. The mist around her felt as if it was trying to squeeze her into suffocation.

This had to be a nightmare. She was sleeping. She was dreaming. Surely, this flashing light was something she had created. All she had to do was wake up. All she had to do was open her eyes. Another flash roared around her.

"Please… Just open your eyes."

She struggled. After all this rest, it seemed like the muscles had locked themselves shut. The black began cutting through the red surrounding her.

"No… Do not go back to sleep."

She focused on her eyes. The black was getting closer. She had to beat it. She wouldn't let it take her! She felt her eyelids twitch. A spec of white suddenly shown through the vast darkness. The void screamed at her. It was working!

Auburn focused. She just had to make it to the light. She just had to focus. The white in front of her flickered once again. The void tried to eclipse it in one last desperate attempt to keep her prisoner, but the light would not give in. Auburn would not give in.

Mustering all the strength she could find inside of her, she managed to prop a single eye open. The darkness let out one last howl as it disappeared in the bright light. All of that time, and now the boundary was clear. The void had an end. All she had to do was step through.

* * *

Her vision was fuzzy. Her eye struggled to adapt to the bright environment. She could feel it shift back and forth through dilation in an attempt to bring forth some form of clarity. As it adjusted, her ears did the same. It filled her head with the ringing of a tiny, high-pitched, white noise.

 _What happened to me? Why is waking up so difficult?_ Her ears desperately tried to search for some sort of answer for her situation. All they could find were the muffled sounds of talking.

"Doctor, the transfer appears to have been a success." _Was that a man? Or a woman? Why do they sound so far away?_ Auburn's eyes continued adjusting to the bright light as she thought on the mumbled words. _What is a transfer?_

"Yes. It appears so…" _Another voice? That one is a man._ The ringing in her ears had calmed enough to make out his words. _Why does he still sound so muffled?_

"So doctor, what is the next step?" Auburn's eyes could make out a few shapes. She focused on that as hard as she could. With that focus, her second eye managed to pull itself open. The added vision helped her see a few colors of her reflection. _Why am I behind glass?_

"Well, General…" There was a sharp sound of metal scraping against metal underneath her. Air rushed towards her from all directions and the colors of her reflection in the glass began to creep upwards towards the ceiling. "The experiment does appear to have been a success. However, we can only prove that with a test."

The wall of glass and metal finished its climb over her head. Its abrupt stop shook whatever cell she was trapped in. Auburn's eyes began to survey the situation in a frantic attempt to figure out where she had been taken.

The room in front of her was white. The walls, the ceiling, the tiled floor, all of it, bright white. Directly in front of her were a few stairs made out of the same tile as the floor. They led to a large desk that held a monitor and a collection of papers that were scattered across its surface. Behind that desk was the source of the voices. Two men both wearing coats colored the same white that covered the room.

She studied them both. _Are they friendly?_ The taller man looking at her with a smug, confident smile didn't rouse confidence in that. To plain eyes, he was tall and handsome. His dark hair had slight grey streaks running on either side of his face that took away attention from his sharp, dark blue eyes. Right now, his looks did little to distract Auburn. All she could focus on was the way he was staring down at her. His gaze made her feel as if she was some sort of prize. It was sickening.

The sounds of footsteps pulled her back to her surroundings _. Is the other man going to be the same way?_ Her eyes locked onto her new target, only to find that he had started making his way towards her. He was an older man, not too tall, and a bit heavy set. His head was full of white hair that ran from his beard and mustache, all the way around the back of his head. As he stepped under one of the rooms bright lights, a glare from the top of his head hit her eye. The bald spot that resided there revealed more of his caramel skin than the rest of his face had.

While she examined the man, Auburn made out a small item gripped in his right hand. The black and yellow tape wrapped around its grip concerned her. _Is that a weapon? What is he going to do with me?_ She tried to move her body. Tried to shake it back to life just like her eyes. It wouldn't budge. Her limbs felt so heavy. It was as if the joints had been locked into place during her deep sleep. Her concern turned into fear as the man stepped directly in front of her and started inspecting her body with brown eyes.

"General, do you mind taking some notes for me? These next moments will be very important to capture." Auburn noticed a slight wavering in his voice. She couldn't quite make out if it was nerves or excitement that had caused it.

The man behind the desk nodded his head. "Of course, Doctor. I expect that this time there will be notes worth taking."

The doctor nodded his head and let out a small mumble under his breath. "I hope so…"

Their exchange terrified Auburn. _Are they going to experiment on me?_ Internally, she was shaking while her body remained still. _You have to speak, Auburn. Say something. Say anything!_ No matter how hard she tried, the words failed to come out. As she struggled, the doctor continued his scan over every part of her body. Auburn was forced to be still as he did. "Yes. Everything appears to be functional from an initial analysis."

The man at the desk begin clicking away at a keyboard. "Yes, yes." The man's voice sounded a bit irritated. "As I said doctor, I'm expecting notes worth taking."

The older man nodded his head slowly and shifted closer towards her body. He waved a finger in front of her face and watched as her eyes tracked it in all directions. "Minor motor functions seem to be in tact as well." He brought the item in his hand up to her arm. "Beginning full functional capability test."

Auburn braced for whatever the device would bring, only for the sound of surging electricity to erupt from the device. A vicious pain rocked through Auburn. She tried to scream, but the words would still not come. Instead, the current from the device pushed her close to the black unconsciousness.

 _No! I am not going back there! I am not letting it take me again!_ The pain and anger she felt pushed her forward. The drive resulted in the movement of a single finger. She could feel the electricity surge towards the appendage. The current seemed to awaken a set of nerves in her system that had ceased all function during her sleep.

"Doctor, the aura readings from your computer are all over the place. I'm sure I don't have to remind you of what happened the last time." He stepped away from the monitor and sighed. "End the test. It's over."

The doctor stopped the electricity, and Auburn's finger fell back into place with the others on her hand. "No!" His voice was fierce in its defiance. "I just need more power! It will work this time!" His free hand reached for the device and turned its single large knob until it hit the end of its field of motion.

Auburn saw the red from her dreams. Current shook through her as she fell in and out of consciousness. She tried to fight it, doing everything in her power to make the pain go away. The nerves in her arm flared once again and she felt her hand catch something.

The electricity stopped at once. The pain from the current left and the tension from her brace began to drift away. Her eyes opened slowly, only to find brown eyes the size of saucers staring back at her.

The doctor stood in front of her with an arm outstretched towards the place he had electrocuted her. His gaze locked onto her in fear of what might happen next. _Why is he so scared? He was the one using that weapon on me!_ Auburn's eyes tracked up the doctor's arm. He kept it eerily still. It made her realize just how quiet the room had become. Her eyes continued their trail until it came upon something new.

A hand gripped the doctor by his wrist. She tried to get a better look at it, but her stiff neck kept it at the corner of her eye. The hand was small and pale. Its hold over the doctor seemed to freeze him in his place. _That doesn't make any sense…_ Auburn's mind began to race. _That's not my hand…_ She tried to fight her panic back, but she could not take her attention off the unfamiliar limb. _That is NOT my hand!_

"P…Penny?" The doctor whispered out the words.

A machine by the man at the desk sprung to life and started beeping and clicking. The awestruck general simply watched as colors and shapes danced across the screen in front of him. "Doctor… If I'm reading this right, her aura isn't stable." His eyes began racing across the data. "This isn't safe. Whatever you've done, you have to stop it now!"

The doctor took one more look into Auburn's eyes. He watched as they trembled behind a face that could do nothing but hold a smile. "No! Ironwood, she has emerald eyes! They've changed! The soul took inside the body!"

Auburn's head continued to spiral. _Her soul… took? That doesn't make any sense! What did they do to me?_ The computers spat out data faster than Ironwood could comprehend. The situation was getting worse. "I'm giving you one minute to explain yourself, doctor. Otherwise, I'm shutting this whole thing down."

The man pointed towards her eyes with his free hand. "Her eyes are emerald! They've grown darker and more vibrant." Auburn couldn't comprehend the words. _My eyes have always been emerald. Did they… change me? What did they do?_ "I didn't see it before, but now that I'm up close…"

"Enough!" Ironwood's voice boomed out over the small room. "You told me that you were going to transfer the soul of someone with silver eyes. You told me that you could bring it back to life." _Silver eyes? What are they talking about?_ "So far, all you've done is waste Atlas funding that could go to much greater causes."

The doctor looked at Ironwood in horror. "No… You can't…"

The general sighed once again. "Gep, I can't let this continue." His fingers started typing once again. "I have to shut it down."

The doctor pulled at his arm to free himself from Auburn's tight grasp. Her fingers were locked in such a tight hold that his coat ripped up the sleeve as he yanked free. Auburn could only watch as he ran to his general. They fought in front of the monitor. Each one trying to push the other back in a desperate attempt to take control of the situation. None of it mattered to Auburn. One detail from their conversation had passed all the others. _Silver eyes… Why does that sound so familiar? Why can't I remember?_

She tried to picture it clearly, but the image she wanted to see came back just as mottled as when she dreamed. She tried to focus on the tiny details of the memories and was answered with colors. Silver, red, and a soft white took over her vision. Each glow of the colors brought forth a warmth inside of her that felt so distant to the cold that surrounding her. _Silver eyes. I… They're important._ She racked through her mind for answers. _Why are they important? Why can't I remember?_

The screens by the arguing men began signaling a new tone. The beeping had ceased, only for a siren to take its place. A flashing yellow warning reflected across their face, drawing attention to its source.

Auburn clenched down on her irresponsive body. It strained back against her and screeched as she tried to force it to move out of will alone. Her panic and fear surrounded the foreign appendages and pushed them forward. At first, all it could manage was a slight twinge of the neck. It did little, but was immediately followed by the shake of an arm. The two men stared at her body as its hand gripped itself into a fist. "Doctor… What's happening?"

There was a movement of its leg. It was slow. It didn't push itself more than a few inches, but it was there. Their creation had taken a step. It had moved on its own. "I… I don't know." Its other leg picked itself up before dropping another few inches forward once again. "It… it worked…"

Auburn pushed herself beyond the metal machine she had been kept in. More bright white light forced her eyes to adjust as she stepped out of its shadow. _Answers. I need to find answers._ Her body twisted mechanically towards machine. It was larger than what she imagined could have fit in the room. Two pods of metal and glass stood tall on either side with a monitor in between. Above, large tubes connected the pods together in a twisting of metals and wires.

 _There is room for two. I was in one…_ Her eyes locked on to the pod that remained shut. Behind its glass, there was a small glint of silver that reflected back to her vision. The color entranced her and begged her to move towards it. The rest of her thoughts escaped, and her legs lethargically pulled her closer to the shining glow.

As she approached, the silver hue grew. It came from metal chains that had been painstakingly clamped together. Under the white lights, it was hard to make out the dried red blood that ran across the collection of rings surface. The chainmail had an owner. She was old, withered, and sitting at the bottom of the pod. Even with her wrinkled skin, Auburn could make out its beautiful peach color.

She was so familiar. Her dark red hair blended with the silver that had come with old age. Even though the woman's eyes were closed, Auburn knew what color they would be. They would be emerald, just like her eyes.

They were her eyes.

The alarm from the machines came to a halt. There was no more beeping. No more colors dancing across the screens. Everything in the room froze in place as Auburn moved her hand up towards the glass. The paleness of its skin struck her. It wasn't her hand. Her hand was behind the glass, against the floor with the rest of her body. _Whose hand is this?_ Her eyes focused on the glass surface in front of her. The colors she had seen when she was in her pod began forming a clear picture. Short orange hair was her first sight. In the middle, a cowlick lifted a few strands of hair up and away from her head. There, it was met with pink from a bow that had been neatly tied up in the hair on the back of her head. The orange hair covered the pale skin of her forehead, and stopped just above her eyes. Her whole face came into picture. It smiled at her as its emerald eyes locked with hers.

Auburn stared at them. They were the same as they had always been. A beautiful vibrant green that belonged to her and her alone. Yet, here they were on a strangers face. A face that now belonged to her. The cold empty feeling pushed its way back into her. Auburn had died. She couldn't remember why, or how, but the old woman that rested on the floor in front of her was no more.

The numbness she felt left her immediately when a hand moved to rest itself on her shoulder. The doctor's face took frame in the glass next to her. _You… you did this to me._ She took note of the look on his face. He looked proud. _It was you. You're the one that did this. What did you do to me?_ The hand on her shoulder gripped her tight as if to try to comfort her. The thought that he could comfort her… The thought that he was proud of what he had done… It snapped the last be of resolve that Auburn had left. _WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!_

Her body could no longer hold her back as the confusion and rage took hold. Her arm squealed as it shot up towards her shoulder. Her hand found his forearm once again, but did not provide the mercy it had before. A tight grip clamped down on the appendage, and continued to squeeze until the man fell to his knees. _YOU DID THIS TO ME!_ Her body provided no words, but there were more ways to communicate her hatred towards the man.

She heard him shriek in pain. "Pe…Penny… AHHHH… Please! Please stop!"

His screams just barely covered the sound of a gun locking itself into a ready position. "Let him go!" Ironwood's demand roared through the room. Auburn could clearly see the revolver that accompanied it. She answered it with another scream from the doctor.

Death didn't scare her. Being dead was nothing compared to the darkness that had forced her to sleep for so long. No, death was mercy. She glared down into the eyes of the man at her feet. He cowered closer to the floor as emerald eyes bore down into him with a smile still locked on her face. Auburn drew her face closer to his, but the true terror came from what he began to feel on his arm.

 _I want you to feel what you did to me!_ Auburn felt her presence start to push itself over him. Her feelings and thoughts poured out of her body, and down towards him arm. _I want you to know what you made me go through!_ Auburn's aura ran through the man's body. He could feel the darkness it held wash over him like a raging black cloud. His eyes went wide as what little memories of the soul he had taken collapsed around him.

"Ja… James… P… Put the gun away." The doctor quivered as he spoke.

The general ignored the request, and reached his free hand to the keyboard next to him. "Have you gone mad? It's going to kill you!"

The doctor's eyes remained locked on his creation. His voice now coming out as a whimper. "I'm so sorry. I… I didn't know." Another squeeze was Auburn's only response. The doctor cried out in pain. "I can fix this! I promise! I can fix it!"

 _I don't want you to fix me! I want answers!_ She tried to force the hand to clamp down once more, but this time it wouldn't budge. _No! Why won't it move?_ Auburn began to panic once again as she felt her body stiffen and her grip on the doctor release. She tried to force through it, but the locks in her joints were too strong. Her eyes shook as the doctor quickly slid himself across the floor on his knees. She tried to focus on him, but something took up her vision. Words flashed in the air in front of her. They spelled out 'Chassis System Override' in green neon lights.

Fear enveloped Auburn once more. She heard the clicking of a keyboard, and the sounds of a man slowly walking away.

"Fix this." They were the only words spoken as Ironwood left the room.


End file.
